How to Report a Daycare to Any US State Quickly and Easily?

Author: Shanzay Aziz First Published: Last Updated:
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Whether it’s your child or anybody else’s, if you see a kid being neglected or a daycare not following the rules and regulations, it’s your duty to report it.

In this article, you’ll see how to report a daycare to the state. We have listed all the US state’s contact information along with their website. So, if you’re in a hurry, skip to your state and immediately call the department to save a child. 

Find contact information for every US state to report a daycare immediately. Your 1 complaint can save a child from potential harm.

2 Daycare Reporting Cases 

Call 911 if It’s an Emergency

If there’s a medical or any other sort of emergency, don’t think twice. Immediately call 911. This is the best response in an urgent situation. 

Report to the Child Care Licensing Authorities

If the case isn’t urgent, then your reporting stop will be your state’s child care and licensing department. This is the department that handles everything related to daycares and their licensing.

Report Daycare in Any US State

  1. Alabama

Alabama Department of Human Resources is the regulatory body. 

  1. Alaska

You can report a child care complaint to the Alaska Department of Health Division of Public Assistance by call (907-269-4500 or 888-268-4632) or email ([email protected]). 

  1. American Samoa

Call the American Samoa Department of Human and Social Services at any of the given numbers. 

  • 684-633-1571
  • 684-633-1572
  • 684-633-1573
  1. Arizona

Arizona Department of Economic Security gives you the following ways to report a daycare. 

  1. Arkansas

Division of Elementary and Secondary Education is responsible for daycare regulations. Your complaint will be recorded anonymously. 

  1. California

Use any of the following methods to file a complaint to the California Department of Social Services. Note that the department won’t reveal your identity. 

  1. Colorado

You can call the Colorado Department of Early Childhood at 303-866-5958 to report a daycare anonymously. 

  1. Connecticut 

Office of Early Childhood regulates all child care affairs. 

Contact: 1-800-842-2288 or 1-800-282-6063

  1. Delaware 

You can report any child care complaint to the Delaware Department of Education. 

  • Contact: 1(800) 292-9582 
  • To report anonymously, use the Online form
  1. District of Columbia

To report any child care complaint in DC, use any of the following methods. 

  • Call: (202) 727-2993
  • E-mail: [email protected] 
  • Fax to Licensing and Compliance Unit at (202) 727-7295 
  1. Florida 

There’s no statewide number in Florida. Each county has its own contact information for child care complaints. Or you can use their online form as well to report anonymously. 

  1. Georgia 

Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is your contact spot for any daycare-related complaint.  

  • Contact: 404.656.5957 or 404.657.5562 
  1. Guam 

Guam’s Bureau of Child Care Services receives complaints in the following ways. 

  1. Hawaii 

Hawaii Department of Human Services is the regulatory body, and they don’t have a common statewide contact number. Here’s a list of contact information for all counties. 

  1. Idaho 

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare asks you to submit a complaint form to the department.

E-mail: [email protected] 

Fax: 208-334-5531 

Call: 2-1-1 (800-926-2588) 

  1. Illinois 

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is the regulatory body. You can call them at 1-800-252-2873 or 1-877-746-0829. Your complaint will be recorded anonymously. 

  1. Indiana 

Report your daycare complaints to the Indianan Family and Social Service Administration. 

Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning

402 Washington St., Room W362,

Indianapolis, IN 46204

  1. Iowa 

The regulatory department in Iowa is the Department of Health and Human Services. 

Call: 1-800-362-2178 or 844-786-1296

  1. Kansas 

You can submit your child care complaints to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. 

  1. Kentucky 

You can call The Kentucky Division of Child Care at (502) 564-7962 to submit any daycare complaints.

  1. Louisiana 
  1. Maine 

To anonymously report any child care concern, you can contact the Office of Child and Family Services at 1-800-452-1999. 

  1. Maryland 

Maryland Divison of Early Childhood doesn’t have a statewide contact system. Here’s a list of all counties’ contact information. Click on your required region, and you’ll get their phone number, mail and address. 

  1. Massachusetts

There’s no common contact number for the entire state. Get your city’s contact details here. Call the department to report the daycare. 

  1. Michigan 

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is responsible for entertaining all child care complaints. 

  • Call: 866-856-0126 
  • Fax: 517-284-9739
  1. Minnesota 

To report any child care complaint, contact your county’s Department of Health and Human Services. Here’s a list of contact information for all counties. 

  1. Mississippi 

Mississippi State Department of Health takes daycare complaints in the following ways. 

  • Call: 1-866-489-8734 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
  • Online form 
  • E-mail: [email protected]
  • Mail: Mississippi State Department of Health

Child Care Facilities Licensure Office

P.O. Box 1700

Jackson, MS 39215

Your complaint will be fully anonymous regardless of the method you use.

  1. Missouri 

You can report any child neglect or abuse to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education by calling 1-800-392-3738. Or you can fill out this online form from their website. 

  1. Montana 
  1. Nebraska

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services will take your daycare reports through: 

  1. Nevada

The Divison of Public and Behavioral Health takes daycare reports through the online form, or you can call them at 702-486-3822.

  1. New Hampshire 

You can contact New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services through call or e-mail. 

  1. New Jersey

You can simply contact the Division of Family Development at 1-877-667-9845 or report online.

  1. New Mexico 
  1. New York

New York Division of Child Care Services receives reports through their toll-free number, 800-732-5207. 

  1. North Carolina 

NCDHHS Division of Child Development and Early Education has given its citizens the following 4 methods of daycare complaints. 

  • Call: (800) 859-0829. Ask the speaker to forward the call to the Intake Unit. You can report anonymously if you want. 
  • Fax: To the Intake Unit at (919) 715-1013.
  • Mail: DCDEE 2201 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-2200
  • Email: [email protected] 
  1. North Dakota 

North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services allows you to report to your county’s local licensing specialist, or you can call them at the statewide number given below.

  1. Northern Mariana Islands 

To report any child care facility in Northern Mariana, you can contact their child care department. 

  • Contact: 664-4570 or 664-2572 
  1. Ohio 

Department of Job and Family Services is your go-to spot for daycare complaints.  

  1. Oklahoma 

Oklahoma Human Services receives statewide complaints and local county complaints as well. 

  • Statewide number: (405) 521-3561 or (844) 834-8314 
  • Fax: (405) 522-2564 
  • Mail: 

PO BOX 25352

Oklahoma City, OK 73125-0352       

  1. Oregon

Call the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care and file your complaint. 

  • Contact: 1-800-556-6616
  1. Pennsylvania 

In Pennsylvania, you can report a child care facility through the online form, or you can call your local county office. Here are the numbers for all county offices. 

  1. Puerto Rico 

To report a daycare in Puerto Rico, you can use the territory-wide number or contact your regional licensing office. 

  1. Rhode Island 

For more information, visit their official document 

  1. South Carolina 

South Carolina Department of Social Services, let’s make daycare complaints to your local county office. Here’s the page containing contact information and email of all of South Carolina’s counties. 

  1. South Dakota

South Dakota Department of Social Services gives you the following options for reporting a daycare anonymously. 

  • Online form
  • Call for daycare complaint: 1-800-227-3020 
  • Call for child abuse: 1-877-244-0864
  1. Tennessee 

Child care comes under the Department of Human Services in Tennessee. You can file your complaint through any of the following ways. 

  1. Texas 

Submit your complaint to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services through: 

  1. Utah 

You can report a daycare to the Department of Health and Human Services.

  1. Vermont 

The Vermont Department of Children and Families takes care of all daycare-related affairs.

  1. Virginia

Virginia Department of Education gives you  2 ways to file child care complaints. 

  1. Virgin Islands 
  1. West Virginia
  1. Washington

Washington Department of Children Youth and Families takes daycare complaints through calls. 

  • Call: 866-363-4276 or 1.866.482.4325
  1. Wisconsin 

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families takes complaints through the regional licensing office. Here’s the contact information for every region’s office. If you wish to report anonymously, make a call. Emailing or faxing doesn’t guarantee your identity concealment. 

  1. Wyoming

The Wyoming Department of Family Services doesn’t have a shared reporting system throughout the state. Contact your regional licensing department to file your complaint.  

What Happens When You Report a Daycare?

After you file a complaint, the department comes into action. They inspect the childcare and investigate the matter. 

If the violation isn’t big enough to cancel their license and shut the center down, they give the center time to correct it. A follow-up visit is made to ensure their compliance.

If there have been any financial losses, the authorities will make sure the center covers it. 

What if Your Suspicion Is Wrong?

It’s not your duty to investigate the matter. Your duty as a responsible citizen is to inform the authorities of any wrongdoings or suspicions. And even child care authorities encourage people to report their suspicions as it can save a child from potential harm. 

So, if you’re in doubt about child abuse, illegal activity or any violation, you should immediately report it. The state authorities will independently investigate the matter, and you won’t be in any trouble if your suspicion is wrong. 

Can You Claim a Lawsuit?

The parents of the victim child have the full right to file a legal complaint against the daycare. However, if you have reported a serious case to the police or child care authorities, they’ll automatically open a lawsuit and take legal action against the center.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a parent or not, it’s every citizen’s responsibility to play their part in making daycares a safe, healthy and loving place for every kid. Reporting is the best thing you can do to help a child. And you know what? You’re not just helping one kid; you’re helping multiple others who are under the same roof and can go through the same damage.

Shanzay Aziz

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